Link to "Since Unfinished":
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/56068 The poem “Since Unfinished” by Richard Blanco is about the passing of time and the memories we obtain as life goes on. It follows Blanco’s personal story with both the good and the bad moments in his life. The first thing I notice is the pattern. The poem is broken up into six stanzas, each starting with the line “I've been writing this since...” followed by descriptions of memories Blanco made at that stage in his life. The idea of “writing” actually translates to the act of memorizing. Blanco has been “writing” down these memories in his head since he was a very young child. Since each stanza represents a pivotal moment in his life in chronological order, it unites the stanzas as a story rather than scattered ideas. The first stanza is the beginning of Blanco’s story; therefore, he starts recalling his first memories as a young child. He uses childhood references that are familiar to most people, such as learning to “make green from blue and yellow” (6-7) paint and how to cut little paper “snowflakes” (8) to decorate the classroom. These references resemble the fact that our brains were once an empty cavity, ready to be filled with any information, no matter how simple. He also addresses his grandfather and the sweet memories he used to share with him. This fond memory represents his childhood innocence. The second stanza takes place when Blanco is a little older. He is old enough where he is starting to watch his “father shave” (18), but young enough to still need his mom to pull splinters “from my thumb” (21) and kiss “my blood” (21). Blanco seemed to be a very happy and hopeful young child. Even the sad moments, like when he got splinters, could be considered happy because his mother was there to care for him. That is what makes nostalgia so interesting; it can evoke feelings of happiness and sadness at the same time. The third stanza is where the poem shifts. It no longer has the happy and innocence tone that the first two stanzas have. Blanco seems to be a teenager at this point, which can be a difficult and confusing age for most people. It is the age we begin to try and form our identity. In this case, Blanco is finding out about his sexuality, but well can tell it wasn't well received by his traditional family. Blanco admits to sleeping with a woman because of his “father’s wake” (24), which was probably the referring to the negative reaction his father would have had if he didn't show interest in woman. Poor, young Blanco also had to deal with constant bullying from his grandmother, as she kept calling him “faggot” whenever she saw him. Although many people put him down in his life, he still spent his years “with a martini and men I knew I couldn't love” (31). It must have been a very difficult time for Blanco growing up, but it made him into the intelligent and inspirational man we know today. That is why it was so important for him to recall this hurtful memory in his poem. It was an important turning point in his life that he needs to “write down” in his head like the rest of his memories. The fourth stanza has an interesting shift. This time it isn't obvious what age he is, but from what I can tell, he is most likely an adult. He has learned a lot about the world and is just taking it all in, whether it is catching the “insanity of the stars” (35), “watching the snow come down” (37), or lying down and “asking nothing of the sky” (42). The tone is slightly depressing this time. Blanco describes the falling snow as “fallout from a despair I had no word for” (38-39), which could very well represent his fragile mental state as a young adult in an unfair world. This stanza also doesn't contain any of his friends or family, which brings about a sense of loneliness and despair unlike the other stanzas. The fifth stanza is a happier stanza than the fourth one. Blanco used some really descriptive similes and metaphors to give the reader a sense of serenity as they study “the tiny leaves on the oaks dithering like moths” (45), or the “eon-old fieldstones unveiled of snow” (46-47). This could indicate that this was a peaceful moment in his life, where he wasn't pegged with sadness and despair like before. He is happy with the fact that his memories are “perfectly unfinished” (51-52). Even though he is growing older, he feels hopeful for the future and all of the experiences he hasn't had yet. The sixth stanza is about old age, and how life comes full circle. This stanza represents Blanco in present day. Since he wrote this in 2012, he would have been around 43 at the time. That is normally the age when things start to slow down. He describes his “knees aching more” (56), his “eyes started seeing less” (55), and his favorite activity being “on the porch” (59) where he “sits to read and watch the sunset” (60). These things are many signs of old age. Because he has seen and done so much in his life, he is content with staying at home and appreciating the little things of nature. He even recalls his grandfather again like he did in the first stanza, which reveals that this cycle of remembering will keep going. It is a poem that is “unfinished” because you can read it over and over again without end. It represents how we constantly remember people and events from our life, so no matter what, we will always have unfinished memories through our life until we die. This poem was very simple, but went deeper than I imagined at first glance. That's what I really like about Blanco’s poems, because you learn a lot about him as a writer and about yourself as a person. He has this certain style that portrays meanings that are a little cryptic, but not so hard that a high schooler like me couldn't decipher. He doesn't use ancient words or allusions to confuse the majority of readers like other poets, because he wants his message to be heard and understood, and I deeply respect that. I look forward to studying more of his poems throughout the year! Thank you for reading my analysis, props to you if you made it through it all. :) **Side Note** Memories are common theme in two other Blanco poems I have covered on this site as well, such as “Burning in the Rain” and “The Island Within”. However, those poems are about very specific memories rather than all memories, like this poem here. If you would like to, you can view my thoughts on “Burning in the Rain” and “The Island Within” on my blog page.
3 Comments
3/3/2017 10:22:08 am
That poem is beautiful and very story like, rather than choppy short snapshots. I love the way this poet wrote down memories years ago and weaves them into his work. You do see the varying emotions and difficulties in his life, but he made it beautiful as a poet. I think that it's interesting how he recalls his grandfather again. Do you think he ever forgive his grandfather for the past?
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Austin
8/3/2017 10:59:39 am
I really liked your analysis, it was very lengthy! But you went into great detail, and you explained the meaning, to the point that I understand the poem without having read it. Excellent Job!
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Anon
15/10/2020 12:02:33 am
Wow thanks! This and your analysis for burning rain is going to help me on my english in class essay tomorrow. Just thought it would be cool to let you know that after three years, your analysis is still helping people.
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